Diocese confirms gardaí were informed and person concerned was offered support

Former Bishop of Kerry Eamonn Casey, photographed in his home in Surrey in south east England in 1999.

The Diocese of Kerry has confirmed that it received one “historical concern” regarding abuse of a child by its former Bishop Eamonn Casey.

“This information was forwarded to the Gardaí and the Health Service Executive and the person concerned was offered support by the diocese,” it said on Tuesday.

It emerged on Sunday that allegations of abuse against the late Bishop Casey dating back to 2005 were made by his niece Patricia Donovan. She said in an interview with the Irish Mail on Sunday that she was abused by Bishop Casey from the age of five.

The allegations were investigated but the Director of Public Prosecutions directed that no charges were to be brought. Bishop Casey died in March 2017 aged 89.

On Monday, a spokesman for Limerick’s Catholic diocese confirmed that it was “aware” of three complaints dating back to the 1950s and 1960s against Bishop Casey, who was ordained in Limerick in 1951 and moved to the UK in 1960.

Following queries from The Irish Times in relation to Bishop Casey’s time as Bishop of Kerry, a spokeswoman for the diocese confirmed that a separate allegation had been made. He was bishop Bishop of Kerry between 1969 and 1976.

The spokeswoman said full disclosure of all the Diocese of Kerry’s records in relation to safeguarding of children were included in the 2013 Safeguarding Audit carried out by the National Board for Safeguarding in the Catholic Church.

“This report shows that 67 allegations were received by the diocese from 1975 to 2013, all of which were reported to the civil authorities,” she said.

“Since 2013 an additional 23 allegations have been received by the diocese and all have been reported to the authorities.

“Given that information relating to Bishop Casey is now in the public domain, we can confirm that one historical concern regarding Bishop Casey was received by the diocese,” she said.